If I remember correctly it didn't so much end as just stop. I expected there to be a second series for ages, but as it has never appeared I must conclude that that's it.
shareI haven't seen the PBS series, but I read all the books. There are maybe four or five. They may not be classics, but they are a good read.
shareThere is news that Rupert survived the invasion and is being taken care of by a French woman.
Louise marries Michael Hadleigh. The series ends with their wedding.
That's all you missed!
I read all three books before I saw the last episode. I could not BELIEVE how abrupt and stupid the ending was! Not to give anything away, but Louise's marriage to Michael was not exactly a "happy ever after." To present that wedding as her happy ending completely misses the point of everything the book is trying to say about women's lives.
Having Clary learn Rupert was still alive was lovely, but in the book Rupert and Zoe have a lot of work to do at salvaging their marriage, even after his miraculous return. Leaving that out again misses all the point of what the books say about marriage and maturity and forgiveness.
Polly receiving her mother's watch -- same thing. There was so much more to say about her father Hugh's feelings for her, and also the (rather unfair) demands he makes on her in the absence of her mum.
Altogether they seem to have ended this mini-series in the most clumsy way imaginable. Did anyone even read the books?
"Your next challenge is always your biggest." Joe Namath
I have to agree about the clumsy ending... I checked this out from the library and honestly thought that the last disc must be missing, finally realizing (with disbelief) that I had really already just viewed the "ending". Who edited this??
share[deleted]
Whilst I thought it was beautifully made, I did feel the ending was ridiculous.
This drove me to ferret out all the novels just so I could find out what really happened. I can only assume that the writers of this mini-series just skimmed through the novels and cherry picked the bits they liked.
It was wonderfully made, well acted and I can only assume the cast were as miffed as the viewers at the shambles that resulted. It would've been so much better if they had followed the novels little more definitely - even if it had made the series an episode or two longer.
I wonder if they thought there *would* be a series two, only to find there wasn't? Sadly we'll never know now.
I remember Joanna Lumley, the actress, who was a producer of the series, telling of how disappointed she was that the BBC decided not to make any more. I enjoyed the 6 episodes (shown on TCM as 3 TV-movies) and read the next book in the series, and having done that I enjoyed seeing the programmes again.
I would certainly agree that the ending was very disappointing, and that the adaptation had its flaws. I wish they had left out the lesbianism and given more time to the other characters, but perhaps that is my prejudice speaking.
It is interesting to compare the life of the author, Elizabeth Jane Howard with that of Louise. For example: EJH was 19 when she married Peter Scott aged 33, the artist and naturalist and the son of Captain Scott of the Antarctic, in 1942 when he was in the navy, but the marriage did not last long.
The series was woeful and didnt go into any depth the way the books do, they are wonderful and essential for anybody who enjoys this historical period. Do yourselves a favour and get them all to read in order. The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion and finally Casting Off. Elizabeth Jane Howard. Then read anything you can by her and see her the other book of hers made into a telly movie and very amusing called Getting it Right (book and film same name) Brilliant!
shareI am reading books now and just started what I thought was the last one, but somehow realized I had not known about the third book, "Confusion"' so now I have to hold off until I can get that one from the library before reading "Casting Off"
I do hate how they ended the miniseries though.
To present that wedding as her happy ending completely misses the point of everything the book is trying to say about women's lives. ... Leaving [out crucial elements] misses all the point of what the books say about marriage and maturity and forgiveness.Amen! Thanks for a very insightful post.
I have not read the novels, but based on comments I've seen elsewhere, the saga does not end as we viewed it in this series. Episode 5 concluded with way too many loose ends. The many story lines continued on much further in the novels. I have to wonder if one or more - many more - episodes were planned but were never produced. There is a 6th episode listed here and on other 'movie' sites but, mysteriously, does not seem to exist for viewing.
shareI finished the last book. Edward leaves Villy for Diana, which surprised me. Hugh remarries, an employee of the firm. Rupert and Zoe finally confess their affairs to each other and rebuild their marriage. Polly marries a Lord and goes off to live in a dilapidated castle. Rachel finally makes a life with her friend, submitting to a real relationship. At the very end, Clary and Archie (Rupert's old art-school friend) are to be married, which is weird and kind of creepy to me.
I kind of hated Edward leaving Villy, but he does not seem very happy with Diana either, it is all very forced. As if they feel they must be happy, since they supposedly got what they wanted. Villy is outraged and shocked by it all. At the end, she is considering a divorce, although she hates to accommodate them in any way. Christopher goes off to live with his sister Nora at her home for the disabled and then leaves there to become a monk. And Louise leaves Michael, to be on her own.
The could have produced a much longer miniseries from these four books, a la "Forsyte Saga" and I wish they had, as there was plenty of material and some characters were left out completely.
IIRC the series only dramatized the first two books, misleadingly showing Louise's marriage as a "happy ending". As mentioned higher up this thread, the BBC never commissioned any more.
sharecluciano63, thank you very much for the synopsis; I wondered about all of the characters but won't be able to read the books. It's sad that Villy was denied happiness, yet that's how things go for many people. Thanks again.
"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."
There is a 6th episode listed here and on other 'movie' sites but, mysteriously, does not seem to exist for viewing.There are 6 segments, each roughly 50 minutes, but the first 2 were combined to make a 100-min "Ep 1" -- so Ep 5, abrupt and unsatisfying tho it is, is indeed the last of the series.